Archives for posts with tag: SEA

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Catch this lovely lady tonight [3.13] at Kremwerk. Let’s jump into our conversation on dBfest 2014, late late nights and her return to Seattle..

 

DD Hello there Avalon! Welcome to Disco Droppings, how are ya?

AE Doing good, chilling in Arizona right now having some family time, gearing up for a big weekend.

DD Now I first saw you play at Decibel Festival 2014’s dB After Hours over at Kremwerk, which also featured Scratcha DVA (with a surprise Kode9 b2b set), Lincolnup and Ben Tactic. It takes a special feel to hold a crowd super late into the night, and I was totally captivated by your DJ set. You had a very strong focused presence, and it’s always a good sign when you forget where you are and how tired you might be and just get lost in the energy. How did you feel about that experience?

AE I absolutely love those kind of late nights where you’re not confined to time, the energy curves into an infinite amount. I had a great time, got to go in a lot of different directions. Plus the craziness of dB fest and all the out-of-towners added a lot of extra spice.

 

DD I haven’t gotten the chance to play much outside my home base in Seattle. I’m curious about how your travels affect your mindset with music? Compared to when you were more stationary.

AE It’s definitely a challenge to asses the crowd/club/scene in a new city you’ve never been to before. Got to be extra on your toes while still bringing a cohesive atmosphere and idea to the night. Especially in Europe where an hour flight means a completely different culture, language.

DD Cybernetic Edits is a nifty little site hosting these free new remixes of yours. What drew you to these artists for your reworks? My eyes widened when I saw Technotronic!

AE Thanks! I play a lot of edits, and often have people come up asking what some weird version of a track I played was. And on top of that I’m not the only DJ who does it! This one’s got a Bananarama edit from Derek Opperman, and I’ve got some great stuff in the pipeline from other artists coming up. Some of the best moments I’ve experienced in clubs are special crazy deep edits/remixes/versions of big tracks. We’ve already reached the virtual trainspotting singularity with discogs/youtube/forums/etc, might as well make it easy and fun for people to snag some different cuts.

 

DD Feelin’ the sass in “Pressure/Quoi!”. What was going through your head when these tracks came together?

AE Pretty straightforward, starting with a strange sample and a kick drum. I made “Pressure” in about a night, never second-guessed any of the voices or sounds, and “Quoi!” I thought no one would like because of the goofy vocal sample, but I still play both nearly every show.

DD You make your return to Kremwerk on Friday, March 13th, how’s the energy gonna’ be this time around?

AE I’m so pumped to come back! I love Seattle, it was actually the first non-SF DJ gig I played back on Valentine’s Day 2014 I believe. As always, I make no assumptions and take every show individually, but I have good vibes in store ❤

Avalon Emerson – Facebook Twitter Soundcloud

– Jimi Jaxon

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Don’t miss Bardo:Basho at Kremwerk this Thursday, July 31st in Seattle. “Disco Droppings Presents” is in its second month, with Basho aka Kirsten Thom playing alongside Zoolab (debut DJ set), Sphyramid (live set, 7 Deadly Records) and myself. Kirsten has produced brand new music just for this show! She mentioned it being very rhythmic, can’t wait!

Let’s get to our conversation..

DD Hii Kirsten. We’ve known each other for a short while now. I did a live dj mix and interview on your show for Hollow Earth Radio back in May. Thanks again for that. How would describe your show?

BB Hi Trevor! That was really fun. My radio show emphasizes experimental electronic music, mostly on the darker tip. I play lots of techno, and some ambient, drone, and noise stuff. I also try to play as much local music as possible, and I make sure to represent female producers.

DD There are a bunch of sub groups in Seattle for electronic music. These often have many similarities to me, with differences in the genres and styles focused on for each crew’s parties. What’s the crew like that you usually find yourself with? That would be secondnature yeah?

BB I have a lot of friends who work on secondnature, who focus on hypnotic techno. I help out from time to time, and attend almost all of their events. That is probably the crew I am closest with. I co-curate an electronic music event series called Elevator, which tends to feature avant-garde and noise-oriented stuff. I also go to Motor as much as I can, along with Sweatbox parties..and I’ve been really impressed with some of the more post-punk and industrial-leaning events like False Prophet and Lust Strength, which both take place at Kremwerk.

 

DD Something told me to put on Blade Runner as visuals to this LP Sampler of yours. Fit together perfectly. Are you a fan of the film?

BB The last time I saw Bladerunner was a long time ago. I remember enjoying it, but I think it’s time for me to watch it again. I will take that as a compliment!

 

DD You should. This is your debut album correct? I’m curious about the path that’s led you here as a producer…

BB The album I recently finished (but have not yet released) is my very first as Bardo:Basho. I’ve been building my production skills for the past three years, and it’s been a slow process. I started out trying to make techno, but then I found that more vocal-oriented, home-listening type music was more expressive for me. Now that I know a little bit more about sound design, I’m making my way toward a more dance floor friendly sound. Before making electronic music, I sang and played synthesizer and rhythm guitar in a few bands, and played classical piano on my own.

DD “Meditative” is one of the hashtags on the LP sampler. Is this something you practice? Whenever I see you there’s a calm, collected energy that I sense.

BB Thank you! I don’t sit down and meditate regularly, but I try to always be present in the moment, and focus on my breathing for a few minutes a day.

 

DD You’ll be playing this month’s “Disco Droppings Presents” at Kremwerk on Thursday, July 31st. This will be a live set from you. Any hints you can give readers as to what you’re going for?

BB This set will be very rhythmic – think bongos and kettle drums – with layers upon layers of vocal loops, and a touch of acid synth. Thanks so much for having me! I’m really looking forward to Thursday.

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Bardo:Basho – Twitter Facebook Soundcloud

– Jimi Jaxon

 

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Sepalcure was always going to have a special element to it, being the creative brain-child of Travis Stewart (aka Machinedrum) and Praveen Sharma (aka Braille). The project was born while the two were making music and DJ-ing respectively in New York, and they’ve come a long way since releasing their first EP’s- Love Pressure in 2010 and Fleur in 2011 on Hotflush Recordings. Sepalcure, their 2011 self-titled full length debut, had all the stylistic markings of the two producers. Maximal, dynamic, exciting but occasionally brooding, Sepalcure was an adventure to partake in. They’ve played shows around the world in the last two years, including last year’s Hotflush showcase at Decibel Festival.

Flash brings them back to Seattle at Q Nightclub tonight for one of the most exciting shows this spring (FB event, TIX). WD4D is opening, along with residents Nordic Soul & Recess. Be there or miss out.

 

Sepalcure – Facebook  Soundcloud  Twitter 

– Tremel

On Friday, July 13th 2012, I’ll be breaking in the first Standard night at Baltic Room with an opening DJ set, 9:30-10:30 (FB event).  Focusing on fresh, expansive, and at times unpredictable dance music, this monthly is tuned for audiences looking for diversity. I’ll be reppin’ my blog Disco Droppings with some personal favorites so far. Listen in for Seazo, XI, Azealia Banks, Minerva (forthcoming track on Car Crash Set), James Arctic, What So Not, Liar..plus some artists I’m hoping to feature in the future. I’ll also play a remix of mine from a past 7 Deadly Records release. The lineup also features Sky Rose, Ghostplay and Sounds In Silence. Come and get worked by some throbbing bass..

 

– Jimi Jaxon

For those old enough to drink in the U.S., I’ll have the privilege of dj’ing with Alex Ruder of KEXP and III Cosby, head of Car Crash Set on February 13th (Living Room Bar, No Cover). I recently learned more about friend, Alex Ruder in his recent Stranger article. As you’ll see in my interview below, he is incredibly enveloped with his craft of dj’ing, and missing his show at the Living Room Bar will be a mistake!

INTERVIEW

DD Sup Alex! I enjoyed learning more about your show in that Stranger article, I feel we are kindred music spirits. What are you up to right now? 

AR Hey Jimi! Thanks! Definitely feel like there’s a wonderful community of new music diggers in Seattle and just really happy to be a part of it. I’m chilling on my break from pushing movies at the video store I manage on Queen Anne, trying to sneak in a quick listening session to some new sounds before heading back to work…

DD I’ll be DJ’ing with you and III Cosby on 2/13 at The Living Room. Very hyped on this! What kind of set will you be playing? For those who listen to your show, are there any favorite tunes you’ll be adding to your living room set? 

AR Yes, really excited to get to share a set with you and Ill Cosby for Street Halo on the 13th! I’ll most likely be putting a set together of new stuff I’m digging and go heavy on some lush/introspective/sexy beats (my fave!) before getting into some more uptempo (but still moody) UK dancefloor flavors. I try not to repeat myself too often, and I try to find something new everyday that blows my mind, but right now I’m really feeling some new and forthcoming releases from Shlohmo, Lapalux, The Host, Ghost Mutt, and Time Wharp on the beats tip, and new UK material from Scuba, Throwing Snow, Disclosure, and Dauwd in the more dance-friendly realm. I’ll probably throw in some Burial as well. Gotta pay respect to the night!

DD How would you describe the NW electronic community? How has it evolved since you first became interested in it? Which artists around here have really stood out to you? 

AR Super hard to put it into words, but I feel that the NW electronic community is a group of genuine, dedicated music lovers, explorers, and creators that are doing what they do out of the sheer love for it. It’s been a treat to not only become more involved in the local scene over the past 8 years but also see the community grow, both in our own circle and on an international scale with the continual rise and success of Decibel Festival. Some of the newish artists that have stood out to me include Ill Cosby and a lot of local folks that have been affiliated with his Car Crash Set label, like Kid Smpl, DJAO, and Kimnusico Trio (who just moved back to New Mexico at the end of last year). I’m also super hyped on Chris Roman’s new house project J.Alvarez. Everything I’ve heard him produce under the new alias are some serious jams! Couple other new local producers that I’ve been feeling recently are Keyboard Kid and Giorgio Momurda. There’s loads more, but those are some of my 206 faves as of late.

 

DD Walk us through your show last Saturday morning. What songs were you especially hyped to play? Any NW artists in the track listing? 

AR I was extra giddy before this past weekend’s overnight show, as I felt like I had an extra heavy dose of new jams I was excited to share on the airwaves! As usual, I started off uptempo before chilling out towards the end of the first hour, and then just tried to keep an interesting vibe and flow throughout the rest of the show, hitting various genres from indie rock, worldly flavors, spacey ambience, pretty folk, to banging hip-hop, as well as the usual assortment of fresh contemporary beats that span the hip-hop and electronic realms. It’s a long list, but I was especially hyped to play Shlohmo’s “The Way U Do,” Lapalux’s “Moments,” Scuba’s “The Hope,” Tom Flynn’s remix of Niki & The Dove’s “DJ Ease My Mind,” Amusement’s remix of Disclosure’s “Flow,” Keep Shelly in Athens’ remix of Solar Bear’s “Cub,” Matthew Dear’s “In the Middle (I Met You There),” Todd Terje’s “Inspector Norse,” Two Inch Punch’s remix of Metronomy’s “The Look,” Eliot Lipp’s “I Wanted To Be A Rock & Roll Star,” Panoram’s “Mute City Blues,” Jacaszek’s “As Each Tucked String Tells,” Elephant & Castle’s “En Memoria (feat. tUnE-yArDs),” Goldie’s remix of Joker’s “On My Mind,” Plug’s “Feeling So Special,” Machinedrum’s “Van Vogue,” Gonjasufi’s “Blaksuit,” John Talabot’s “Journeys,” Mmoths’ “Heart (feat. Keep Shelly in Athens),” and Sonnymoon’s “Goddess.” There was still a lot of new tracks I couldn’t fit into the show that I’m looking forward to sharing on my next shift! Some local acts that I was stoked to sneak into the show were Kid Smpl’s latest unreleased track called “Corridor,” Gabriel Teodros’ “Mind Power,” “Format” by J.Alvarez, the new house-oriented alias of Seattle’ Chris Roman (aka 214),  Filastine’s “Ja Helo,” DJAO’s “Engraving” off the killer new Gem Drops Two compilation, and Keyboard Kid’s “Get Based.”

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See ya’ll on the 13th! 

Jimi Jaxon